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Aubrey
Welsh
I am extremely grateful for my nuclear and extended family. Like most families, we've good and bad times but the most important thing is that we've stuck together over the decades. My decision to emigrate from South Africa has meant that I have not always been 'available' to them and I know this has resulted in some distance between some of us. But I have always travelled back to SA, and especially during my mother's later years, did all I could to bring the families together.
Left Photo: Barry (my brother) and his wife, Arlene - with their children and grandchildren, Michelle and Dean, my only photograph with my maternal grandfather - Otherdada; Amy and Daniel
Right clockwise: My brother, Harold; Mom and; cousin Violet and her husband, Greg; my father, Desmond; Rhoma Boltman; Lynne, Victor (my eldest brother) and Penny and Dean
On the right, some pics of our extended Liverpool/SA family.
Between 1982 and 1996, I lived and worked in Johannesburg in the performing and broadcasting industries. I had the most amazing time—even if my dream of becoming a Hollywood, Broadway, or West End 'star' never came to be. This was a heady period of time during which I explored just about everything - AND I survived (much like Gloria Gaynor). I also experienced some of the most challenging times that can beset one—and, yet again, I survived. Singing, dancing, acting, presenting and producing my way through dozens of stage and TV productions - my life was wonderful. I give thanks to all the people who were part of that journey of mine - it is testament to our friendship that we are still close today. We have lost some and I sincerely hope that we will meet again.
So, I have had two major careers: performing and teaching, and they have taken me all around the world. I don't have a single regret about any of the decisions I have made in my life. Every single one has been both a blessing and a learning experience. I have had some incredible co-workers in both fields and I am so grateful for having had the thrilling opportunity of working beside you. I have learned so much from each one of you that I could never thank you enough. My fervent hope is that you have been as excited to work alongside me, hahaha.
And then there have been friends around whom I have traversed the globe. If I could ever have been said to have had a vice, it would be 'travel'. I have just loved getting on a plane (even those eighteen and a half hour flights from Auckland to Dubai - and then another 7/8hrs to London or Durban) and arriving at a destination to catch up with family and friends. I have enjoyed every trip, every train and ferry ride and again, I am so grateful to all of you who welcomed me into your homes. My life has been enriched through so many of these experiences and I trust this has resulted in my being a better teacher and friend. I have lived a completed life and you have had an integral role in making it so.
I leave you with a just a few of the millions of photos in the category: 'travel with friends'
My apologies to the many hundreds of people whose photo doesn't appear here -
you are all in my heart and mind.
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And what of Oceania? My current home and citizenship. Yes, I only hold a New Zealand passport and am a NZ tax resident. I migrated to Auckland at the end of 1996 and although I have lived and worked in a number of countries since then, NZ has always been my 'home'. You will know that across the globe there are hundreds of millions of migrants whose lives are not so wonderful - who have chosen to leave their country of birth for a myriad reasons. I have been very lucky; I have made new friends and re-connected with old friends. All have made me feel welcome and part of these antipodes. It's true that we may not have seen much of each other over the past few decades but I have valued your friendship and loyalty.
I trust you will remember me, forever.
I spoke earlier of travel as my 'vice', so I would like to give thanks for all the travel I have done, especially to St Christopher who has travelled with me since I turned 21 years old. He was a gift from my mother and soon he will have a new family member to look after.
These photos represent such a small slice of my travel experiences but I am so grateful to have had each and every one. I have tried to include some pics that you may never have seen before.
Bird's Nest - Beijing; Horseshoe Bay - Vancouver; Camels in Saudi Arabia; Heavenly Lake and Mountains - XInjiang; York Roman Wall; Welsh gravesite - Durban; Paintings - Vietnam; Generalife - Granada, Spain; Ferry to Ithaka, Greece; Borobudur Temple - Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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